7- night Highlights Tour of Israel

Sunday, Day 1: Ben Gurion Airport/Tel AvivArrival at Ben Gurion Airport. You will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel in Tel Aviv for overnight.

Monday, Day 2: Tel Aviv/Beer Sheba/Masada/Dead Sea/Jerusalem BWe travel south via the port of Ashdod past Ashkelon on our way to Beersheba, the capital of the Negev, for a short visit of this distinct Turkish town. Continuing via Arad, located on the border of the Negev and the Judean Desert, we ascend via cable car to the mountaintop fortress of Masada. Tour the ancient fortress and visit the remains of the palaces, synagogues, bathhouses and walls. Later we head to one of the hotels in the Dead Sea area to experience floating in the unsinkable waters. Next is the oasis of Ein Gedi and the West Bank settlement kibbutz of Kalya, heading for the Holy City of Jerusalem. The remainder of the day is at leisure.

Tuesday, Day 3: Jerusalem: The New City B
We drive to Mt. Scopus overlooking Jerusalem for a panoramic view of the city. On to the Garden of Gethsemaner. Nearby is the Church of the Agony also known as the Church of All Nations. Next is the Israel Museum, located on a hill in Givat Ram. This remarkable building houses the Shrine of the Book with the famous Dead Sea Scrolls. Afterwards we head to Jerusalem to conclude the tour at Yad Vashem. In the afternoon we drive to the picturesque village of Ein Karem. The remainder of the day in Jerusalem is at leisure.

Wednesday, Day 4: Jerusalem (The Old City)/Bethlehem *BStart with a morning walk through one of the eight gates to the walled Old City and the renewed Jewish Quarter. Continue to the the Wailing Wall or the “Kotel” and then to Temple area. Walk throughthe colorful bazaarstoward The Via Dolorosaand Church of the Holy Sepulchre.In the afternoon we head to Bethlehemto vistthe Church of the Nativity. At the end of the visit we return to Jerusalem.The remainder of the day is at leisure.

Thursday, Day 5: Jerusalem/Beit She’an/Tiberias/Galilee BLeaving Jerusalem we drive north via Jericho. Travelling through the Jordan Valley we stop in Beit She’an where excavations have uncovered the remains of 20 settlements dating from the Neolithic/Chalcolithic period. Continue to Tiberias, considered one of the Four Holy Cities of Judaism. Drive along the shores of the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum to visit the ruins of the ancient synagogue. Overnight in a Kibbutz hotel. The remainder of the day is at leisure.

Friday, Day 6: Galilee/Upper Galilee/Golan Heights/Nazareth/Galilee BWe begin the day with a drive to the strategic Golan Height sand then continue via Banias, the source of the Jordan River. Next is the Hula Valley, an important stop on any bird watchers list. Safed, known as one of the Four Holy Cities of Israel, is a spiritual center as well as the center of Kabbalah. Our stop will include a visit to a synagogue and the artists’ colony. From Safed we travel some 70 kms. to Nazareth to see the Basilica of the Annunciation, St. Joseph’s Church and Mary’s Well before returning to the Kibbutz hotel for overnight.The remainder of the day is at leisure.

Saturday, Day 7: Galilee/Acre/Haifa/CAESAREA/Tel Aviv BWe head west to Acre and then continue to Haifa, the largest port in the country. Your visit will take you to see the expansive complex on Mount Carmel– famous for its beautiful Persian Gardens and golden domed Shrine of the Bab. Proceed along the coast to Caesarea to see the excavations, aqueduct and the amphitheater. We end the day with a short city tour of Tel Aviv-Jaffa before returning to the hotel.The remainder of the day is at leisure.